When in Wales
by TheScottishWitch
Summary: After the war, Hermione decides to leave the wizarding world returning to the safety of the muggle world where she grew up, everything is perfect untill she finds herself bumping into a certain young wizard and needs to know why he is here.


Many might say that my life so far has been a fairy tale, born as a muggle, learned that I was a witch and had the most amazing opportunity to be enrolled in Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. I on the other hand would say that my life so far has been a roller-coaster, Harry and Ron always helped me get into trouble in my early school years, but without me, I don't think they would have survived many of their challenges against Lord Voldemort, through school I was called a mudblood; not the nicest of words, but it what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and stronger I became, hunting for horocruxes with Harry and Ron was hard, I will have mudblood etched in my arm for the rest of my life after our very short time at Malfoy Manor, I am very thankful that Lord Voldemort has been defeated as now, hopefully my life can continue like normal and uneventful, to say the least. I wouldn't change my past for anything, as it has made me who I am today. But now I have the opportunity to improve my future, I was a very plain looking child and a slightly prettier but still plain teenager, now I am almost 18 I am very much going to change that.

Just in case you haven't guessed my name is Hermione Granger. The war in the wizarding world took a lot out of me, I no longer fully accept the trust of many people in the wizarding world, which is why I have chosen, for the time being to move back into the muggle world, it is where I grew up and here I can feel safe, where there is no one who will throw a spell at you while your back is turned, here I can be just Hermione. That sounds pretty good to me, not part of the golden trio, not a war heroine...just me; Hermione, will be nice for a change.

To start my life in the muggle world I have decided to enrol in a muggle university in a completely different setting to the one I am used to growing up in London. Come September 24th I am taking up a place on a prestigious Law course in Aberystwyth in Wales. I cannot wait for this to come, living in halls, and getting to be a typical teenager without having all the responsibility that I had at Hogwarts. I have also decided that I am going to change who I am, not inside, but at least on the outside, and this will be done in the wizarding world as they have the best clothes and the best hairdressers! Think it is about time I done something amazing with my hair. I'm not changing myself because I want other people to like me when I move to Wales, but I am doing this for me, I want to be confident and outgoing, not hide away behind books for four years at Law School. Here's to a new Hermione.

"Hermione, where are you?" I heard a familiar voice shout from downstairs, pulling me out of my little day dream I was in, "I'm upstairs Gin, will be down in a sec!" I'm happy Ginny is here, she's really one of the only "girlfriends" that I have, she will tell me the truth about what I want for my new look. Today is my birthday, August 30th, I am now officially 18 and what a better way to spend it than to go shopping and to get my hair done by the most famous wizarding hairdresser in Diagon Alley, Nikita Clarkson, she was at Hogwarts 3 years before me, I remember that she was a prefect for Ravenclaw and apart from that I don't really know her, one thing I do know is that she is meant to be the best.

"Hey Gin, sorry, I was day dreaming as usual, how are you anyway"

"I'm okay, let's get going, you know how much I love shopping, and I am desperate to spend the money I have been working hard for all summer" Ah gees, how could I forget, Ginny has been working her ass off all summer at the ministry day care centre, to earn some extra cash now that Ron and George have moved out of the Burrow, it's just Ginny and her parents, may as well enjoy it while it lasts, as Ginny will be returning back to Hogwarts in 2 days, and she's also, like me desperate for a new wardrobe!

An hour later I found myself in the hairdressers, chatting away to Nikita and Ginny about what they thought would be good to do with my hair, I wanted to keep it brown, Nikita, thought otherwise, I wanted it short, Nikita said not a chance, it went like this for about an hour, until I decided that Nikita is the expert and asked her to do exactly as she wished.

"Your hair looks amazing if I do say so myself, aren't you happy that you let me do what I knew was right", Nikita confidently stated

Looking in the mirror, I didn't really recognise myself. Nikita had done an outstanding job on my hair, but then that's what she is paid for am I right, my hair had changed dramatically, there was a variety of different coloured highlights through the usually plain brown hair, Nikita explained them to me as copper, chocolate and caramel tones, my hair was mostly straight with just a few very loose curls at the front to shape my face, and I had a fringe, I would never have picked a fringe for myself, but it looked stunning, I never realised that my hair was so long was only about a few inches above my waist. For once I actually felt pretty.

"Welcome to the new you Hermione, the guys in Aberystwyth aren't going to know what hit them!" Ginny laughed

"Thanks a bunch Nikita, you have done an amazing job, we better get going, still got lots to do before dinner, catch you later."

Now for the even more fun bit...shopping! It was time that I got some pretty clothes, something that stated I am pretty but I am not a whore. Five hours later, myself and Ginny said our goodbyes from the Italian restaurant where we had the most amazing dinner, with pretty much a million bags between us, I decided to shrink my clothes and put them in my pocket so that I could apparate home. It was strangely quiet at home, mum and dad must have gone out for the day, oh well, I suppose that then means that I don't have to think about explaining to them that my clothes aren't to slutty, they are just right, and that I won't be giving men the wrong idea about me, with skinny jeans, shorts, miniskirts, dresses and some killer high heels for when it comes to going out with my new class mates. I got some chilling clothes as well, just nice normal everyday clothes. Well I think that I have done enough for one day, I'm very much looking forward to the next couple of weeks in the run up till moving day, when I will fill up my little mini cooper convertible and say good bye to my parents and as they say the rest will then be history


End file.
